Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine March 2025

News Magazine June 2018

Lieutenant: Mr. McKinni, there is an arrest warrant for you and if you get arrested it will result in 7 to 21 days i ncarceration . You don ’t want to do this. McKinni: Well, just arrest me. I ’ll have lots of fun letting everyone know how I was treated. Thank you for your time but I am hanging up. Department to see if there was a warrant for his arrest. Treat with courteousness, they informed McKinni there was not warrant and this sort of thing is going around. OK! Why did I tell you this in story / play form. I wanted you to see the thoroughness of scams that are going on these days. This reflected part of the conversation. It took about 2 hours. And yes, Mr. McKinni is actually me, Tom Hunt. Yes, I am embarrassed that it took me so long to end it; but, I thought, “ You never know and I could spare a few minutes to be sure it wasn ’t legit.” You will do better. Get a call like this, ask if you can call them back. Hang up and call your local police. They will be glad to assist. Here's the deal. Scams are more than abundant. They are at pervasive. In 2023, the FTC reported that consumers lost over $10 billion to scams. In 2024, government imposter scam losses exceeded $557 million. Conclusion of story: McKinni went to the Maumelle Police

“Always remember the four P’s” Although the tactics vary, there are some consistent red flags to help you to spot scams. 1) Scammers will pretend to be from a legitimate, reputable agency or business to gain your trust; 2) Scammers will then often present a prize, such as an offer to increase your benefits,or make you aware of an unknown problem with your account or with an agency, such as SSA; 3) Scammers will pressure you to act immediately; and 4) Scammers will ask for hard-to trace payments , such as with a gift card, cryptocurrency, gold bars, wire transfers, or by mailing cash. Knowing the 4Ps will give you the confidence to speedily slam the scam. Credit Card Scams also top the list. Time Financial lists 11 things to watch for: 1. Identity theft and identity fraud A thief will contact you directly, impersonating someone else to persuade you to release sensitive information about your identity that will give them access to your credit cards. Texts, phone calls, and emails from unrecognized senders (especially if they reach out incessantly after you fail to respond) signal that you’re targeted by scammers. Identity theft is stealing this information and identity fraud is using that information to steal from you — or from, say, a government program like Medicare using your information.

The Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration says,